1. Field of the Invention.
2. The present invention relates to a board game suitable for playing while watching a sporting event. It is known that some sporting events while ultimately exiting, have substantial periods of time of inactivity. The present invention permits the period of inactivity in a sporting event, particularly a televised sporting event, to be utilized productively according to the knowledge of the viewer of the a televised sporting event.
2. Description of the art practices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,409 issued Dec. 10, 1996 to Mayorga et al. describes a baseball board game and more particularly pertains to simulating the sport of playing baseball to aid in the learning of all aspects of the sport of baseball. U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,204 issued to Meyer, III Apr. 18, 1995 describers a board game for simulating the game of baseball in which baseball trading cards are utilized as playing pieces. The game includes a board having a baseball diamond pictured thereon and a plurality of card holders into which baseball trading cards may be positioned. A deck of pitcher cards provides a random pitch to a player at bat, such as a strike, ball, or hit, and a deck of action cards provides a random result of the batter's action, such as a hit, out, or home run. The game pieces are then moved in accordance with the rules of conventional baseball. The game board and the card holders may be provided with illumination for enhancing appearance and facilitating nighttime play.
Dileva et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,292 issued Jun. 21, 1994 discloses a baseball board game including a plurality of tokens, each of which represent one of the players, a random number generator, a multiplicity of play money, and a game board having a baseball-like playing field and a multiplicity of playing spaces formed on the baseball-like playing field which cooperatively define a continuous closed path in the form of a baseball diamond along which the tokens are moveable in random increments. The multiplicity of spaces includes a starting corner space representing home plate and three additional corner spaces representing first base, second base and third base, respectively, a first group of spaces having monetary gains specified thereon associated with certain baseball-related events in a baseball player's life both on and off the field which have a positive pecuniary effect on a baseball player and a second group of space having monetary penalties specified thereon associated with certain baseball events on and off the field in a baseball player's life which have a negative pecuniary effect on a baseball player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,793 issued Apr. 5, 1996 to Holte describes a commodities options trading game is provided in which the simulated market, which determines whether the value of the simulated commodities options rise or fall, is determined by a real event occurring outside the game being played. In a preferred embodiment, the event from which the simulated market is derived is a real-life sporting event, such as a professional basketball, football, or baseball game. Preferably a host calculator or computer generates the initial option prices and displays the information to a plurality of player stations. After play begins, the host computer updates the options prices using formula based on the current score, time remaining and a other empirically determined factors. The players buy and sell options in response to the momentum of the market. At the conclusion of the sporting event, the options are cashed in for their intrinsic value and the player with the most accumulated wealth is declared the winner.
D'Aurora et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,042 issued Oct. 28, 1997 discloses a game board apparatus having multiple sets of playing space designators is disclosed. The playing space designators are adapted to be removably affixed to playing spaces of a playing board. Examples of sets would include profession baseball teams, computer and telecommunications firms, professional football teams, etc. When a set of designators is chosen, the players then affix individual designators to playing spaces on the playing board surface. Each playing space designator includes indicia representing one or more characteristics of the playing space designator.
Moran in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,590 issued Jun. 4, 1996 describes a baseball card game including one deck of cards, the deck including 27 "out" cards, 13 "on base" cards, and 1 wild pitch card, and 9 separate "incidence" cards. Each card discloses a particularly play event, illustrates the symbol identifying same, and describes what action is taken by any base runner who may be on base when the event occurs. The deck is shuffled before each half inning, and the cards are turned-up one at a time until three "out" cards are completed. A plurality of blank box score sheets are included, adaptable to having any preferred line-up of players listed thereon, and the appropriate symbols recorded thereon as the individual cards are turned up.
To the extent that the foregoing patents are relevant to the present invention they are herein incorporated by reference.